The Birthday Kiss
by HermioneRose
Summary: It's Kelsi's birthday, and Ryan wants to give something special to her. RyanxKelsi.


**Author's Note: I should do more **RyanxKelsi **stories, but I won't forget my original pairing, **RyanxHaylie**. This little one-shot is dedicated to Jess, who I hope has a happy birthday (even though I'm a little early)! I hope you like this story, Jessie! Enjoy, and happy reading!**

**Chapter One: Birthday Surprise**

Sunday, November ninth.

The day that Kelsi Nielsen came into the world.

Kelsi always liked her birthdays: it was just her, her mother, and her father.

No one else, and she liked having quiet family gatherings of three.

But, being seventeen (the youngest while everyone happened to be eighteen), her mother thought that it was time to stop the family gatherings of three, and have a huge birthday bash.

On the morning of her eighteenth birthday, her mother handed her a stack of invites, and Kelsi looked at her mother.

"Mom, I don't want a birthday bash....can't we just do a family gathering like we always do?" Kelsi asked, almost pleading, and her mother looked at her.

"Kelsi, I think it'd be good for you....besides, you've always liked that Jason Cross, right?"

Kelsi felt her cheeks burn towards the incorrection of her crush:

Sure, she always liked Jason: as a friend.

Who she really liked was Ryan Evans, a drama club member at East High, and Sharpay Evans's twin brother.

"Yeah." Kelsi said quietly, still clutching to the invites her mother had given her.

Mrs. Nielsen nodded at her daughter.

"Well, then the party should go fine. Give those out to your friends, and me and your father will do the rest."

Kelsi sighed as she grabbed her backpack from the kitchen table, and with a good-bye to her mother, headed out the door towards school.

When she got to school, she spotted Ryan by her locker, and her cheeks flared up again.

Why was he there?

As she came closer, Ryan looked up, and he gave her a smile.

"Hey! I heard it's your birthday on Sunday. You're going to be eighteen." Ryan stated as Kelsi just nodded, and spun the dial on her locker, making it open, and she stuffed the books she had bought home yesturday afternoon.

She then got out her morning books, and she glanced at him as she placed them in her backpack.

"Yeah. And my mother insists I have a birthday blow-out." she explained, and Ryan rosed an eyebrow.

"What's so bad about that?" he asked, and Kelsi bit her lip.

"Well, I always had a small family gathering of just me, my mother, and father...now, I don't know if I want to become eighteen."

Ryan chuckled as he and Kelsi walked down the hallway together.

"We all have to grow older, Kelsi. It's part of life." she commented, and Kelsi nodded.

"Yeah, but maybe I don't want to grow older."

Ryan gave her another smile.

"Neither did I. But, I bet your birthday party will be fun."

Kelsi sighed as she handed him an invite.

"The invite is for you _and_ Sharpay, if she wants to come, of course."

She knew Sharpay wouldn't really want to come to her birthday party, but if Ryan going, Sharpay had no choice.

"She'd love too. You know you'd see us both there." Ryan stated, and Sharpay chose the moment to come up to them.

"I'd like to do what?" she asked, and Ryan turned around to face his sister.

"You'd want to go to Kelsi's birthday, right, Sharpay?" he asked, and Sharpay glanced at Kelsi, who nervously looked down at the tile floor.

"I guess....it'd give me something to do on a Sunday afternoon." Sharpay said, taking the invite from Ryan, and Ryan frowned as Kelsi glanced up.

"But, you don't have to come, Sharpay..." Kelsi explained, but Ryan stopped her from talking.

"Like I said, she'd love too." Ryan replied, and Sharpay nodded as she handed back the invite to Ryan, but Kelsi thought that the Mountain Lion didn't look too happy to spend her Sunday afternoon at Kelsi's house.

After handing out the other invites (to Chad Danforth, Taylor McKessie, Troy Bolton, Gabriella Montez, Zeke Baylor, and Jason Cross), she felt slightly better about the birthday bash, but not so much.

The week finally ended, and on Sunday afternoon, Kelsi was on pins and needles.

Especially if her crush since forever was coming to celebrate your big day.

The first guests to arrive were Troy and Gabriella, followed by Chad and Taylor, and the third two were Zeke and Jason (Mrs. Nielsen gave a knowing smile to Mr. Nielsen, and Kelsi almost went red in the face, which she usually was good at doing now all the time).

And finally, the last pair was Sharpay and Ryan.

"Here. It's nothing, but Ryan insisted we get you something." Sharpay stated, pushing a bag towards her, and Kelsi peeked inside:

Earrings shaped like music notes, and Kelsi gave a small smile to the blonde-haired girl.

"Thank you." she responded, and Sharpay shook her head as she walked off to chat with Troy and Gabriella, and then it just her and Ryan.

"I'm sorry if I didn't get you anything, but Sharpay sort of thought it'd be better if we just got you a present as one."

Kelsi noded as she set the bag by the other gifts.

"That's okay--"

"No, it's not. I really wanted to give you something...I feel gulity." Ryan protested, and Kelsi grinned.

"Ryan, don't be sorry. It's just my eighteenth birthday. There'll be other bithdays."

Ryan shook his head as he took hold of her hand, and he led her outside.

"I just wanted to give you something special. To make up for all of the things Sharpay has done to you." Ryan replied, and Kelsi shook her head.

"Ryan, don't feel bad. Don't think you have to--"

But, she didn't get to finish as Ryan softly pressed his lips against hers, and they stayed like for a good few minutes until Ryan pulled away, and Kelsi glanced up at him, her face slightly flushed, and Ryan smiled.

"How's that for a birthday present?"

Kelsi was still in shock about the kiss, but she nodded anyways.

"You didn't have to do that..." she replied, but she could tell by Ryan's facial expression that he wanted to do it.

"I felt bad I didn't give you anything. Since Sharpay got you those earrings, I wanted to give you something more special."

Kelsi didn't say anything as Ryan took hold of her hand again, and they re-joined the party.

But, as they were getting out the cake, and when her mother told her to make a wish (she was beyond wishing, but sometimes, she still wished every now and then), she blew out her candles, knowing excatly what she wished for:

For Ryan Evans to truly like her back.


End file.
